The Infinix Note 5 has finally seen the light of day. The device, which will be targeted at those looking for a productivity gadget but are on a budget, has made quite some changes as compared to what we got last year. We still get two variants, one standard phone with quite a decent spec sheet and the pro version that gets a stylus and a cool name to go with it.

Starting off, the highlights of the Infinix Note 5 are as follows:

6-inch Full HD Display in an 18:9 aspect ratio

A MediaTek Helio P23 Processor

3GB/4GB RAM

32GB/64GB internal storage

Dual 4G SIM support

12MP main camera

16MP selfie camera

4500mAh battery

It’s all about the software

This year’s Infinix Note is all about the software. The device proudly hails from the Android One program, which means that the software comes directly from Google. Android enthusiast will be excited by how pure the Android 8.1 Oreo software on the Note 5 is. The software comes in all it’s pixel-like glory, right down to the Google animation when you press the virtual home button.

Still on the software, Infinix could not help themselves but jump into the pool of AI buzzwords. The company has implemented AI scene detection into the camera which is meant to help users take better shorts depending on the scenery, especially in the outdoors. There’s also AI-induced bokeh effects since the device does not come bagging dual cameras on either model. Infinix also mentioned that the huge 4500mAh battery, will receive a touch of AI optimizations to help it achieve the 3-day battery life they promise.

Infinix Note 5 Stylus

Just like last year, we get a shiny glass-like polycarbonate plastic unibody that feels pleasantly light and miraculously does a good job at hiding the fingerprints. On the pro version, we get a metallic unibody which admittedly feels more premium and will probably be more durable.

The device you want is that Pro version. Not only do you get more RAM to play around with and double the internal storage, you also get an improved stylus implementation. Unlike last year’s stylus that was literally an added bulk on the Note 4 Pro, the Note 5 Pro/Stylus hides its x-pen inside the body – something like what we see on the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, yeah, even that clicking mechanism has been implemented.

I hate to compare but the similarities are just too much to ignore. When the screen is off, removing the X-Pen launches an off-screen writing pad that you can scribble some notes, you can also use the stylus to navigate through the phone and you also get some stylus shortcuts to complement its existence.

The Infinix Note 5 retails at Kes.17,939 and for those specs, this device is a steal. The Note 5 Pro/Stylus will apparently launch in August/September – thereabouts. There’s no mention of expected price, but we hope it won’t be a stone throw away from where the standard version stands, say maybe sub 25k.